Parashat Va'etchanan - the Haftara

Va’etchanan – the Haftara
Isaiah 40:1-26
Reading date: 1st August 2009 – 11th Av 5769

Our Highlighted Haftara text
"The nations are but a drop in a bucket,Reckoned as dust on a balance;The very coastlands God lifts like motes.Lebanon is not fuel enough,Nor its beast enough for sacrifice.All nations are as naught in God's sight;God accounts them as less than nothing." Isaiah 40:15-17

On Tisha B’Av we reflect on Israel's exile at the hands of the Romans and pray that we will have the strength to withstand the current attack!

This week with the recent events in Israel and the world, it seems fitting that we commemorate Tisha B'Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. Tisha b'Av marks the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from the land of Israel. The first Shabbat after Tisha B'Av we read Parashat Va'etchanan, but the Shabbat is more commonly referred to as ‘Shabbat Nachamu’, this name taken from the opening words of the haftara from (Second) Isaiah: ‘Nachamu, nachamu’- Comfort, comfort My people. This is the first (of seven) haftarot of consolation that follow the past three weeks of haftarot of admonition.

The portion Va'etchanan contains both the Shema and a recapitulation of the Ten Commandments that differs in both slight and more significant ways from the text in Exodus.

History
Second Isaiah lived a century later than Isaiah, after the exile (586 BCE). The prophet addresses the exiles of Judah now in Babylon and brought words of comfort. Because of his message of consolation that Israel's sins are forgiven, we assume that these prophecies were delivered after Cyrus the Mede conquered Babylon and permitted the Judeans to return to Jerusalem (538 BCE).

Commentary
I don't like to use this weekly commentary as a soapbox for political commentary around current events, including the actions of Barak Obama and the American legislature, put me in a position that I can't ignore the recent events in Israel. I am tired of Israel being attacked, both physically and in the media. "Pro-Israeli" websites present what seems to me to be a more balanced perspective; the rest of the world sees Israel as the aggressor, Israel as the source of violence and Israel as the reason for instability in the region. With every civilian casualty and Israeli air strike, the world goes on a media feeding frenzy to attack Israel's position.

It is tragic when civilians are killed by Israeli missiles, and it certainly does not advance the cause of peace. But it is never pointed out that these unfortunate (and I'll admit- all too often) incidents are, to use the military euphemism, "collateral damage". Too bad that the media also doesn't point out that Hamas shields itself behind UN posts and schools and other civilian positions, believing that Israel will not dare retaliate precisely to avoid civilian casualties. Israel doesn't target civilians, unlike Hamas who deliberately fire missiles onto Israeli schools and hospitals. Hamas’ hundreds of kassam rockets and mortars raining down on Israel (and Israeli casualties) don't make the front page. It seems Hamas has permission to attack.

As long as the conflict is about Palestinian sovereignty and land borders, I believe that eventually a peace settlement could be reached. But when Hamas raises the conflict to a new level I become anxious and question the safety of Gilad Shalit. We have to stop pretending that Iran's message that "Israel must be wiped off the map" and Al Qaeda's call to all Muslims to attack the western world is just empty rhetoric. Israel and the US are seen as the enemies of Islam, and the conflict is real. Good meaning Muslims must challenge these messages of hate and intolerance and work for a moderate Islam that can function in modern society.
So on Tisha B’Av we reflect on Israel's destruction at the hands of the Romans and pray that we will have the strength to withstand current attacks. This week's haftara words of comfort are therefore timelier than ever:
"Ascend a lofty mountain,O herald of joy to Zion;Raise your voice with power,O herald of joy to Jerusalem--Raise it, have no fear;Announce to the cities of Judah:Behold your God!" Isa. 40: 9

Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Devarim - the Haftara

Devarim – the Haftara
Isaiah 1:1-27
Reading date: 25th July 2009 – 4th Av 5769

Our Highlighted Haftara text
“Hear the word of Adonai, you chieftains of Sodom; Give your ear to YHVH’s instruction, you folk of Gomorrah.” Isaiah 1:10

Worst of all are those who pretend to be righteous.

This week we begin the book of Deuteronomy, or Devarim. This portion always falls on the Shabbat before Tisha b'Av and has the special name: ‘Shabbat Hazon’, taken from the opening words of the book of Isaiah and the first words of the haftara: ‘Hazon Yishayahu’- The vision of Isaiah. This is the first (of seven) haftarot of consolation. This first haftara is from the opening prophecy of Isaiah; the remaining six are from what modern scholars call the 'Second Isaiah.'

The verse in the haftara "Alas, ‘eichah’ she has become a harlot, the faithful city that was filled with justice..." (1:21) echoes the opening of the book of Lamentations (‘Eichah’ in Hebrew).

History
Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the haftara: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazi calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern kingdom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his prophecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behavior.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remnant did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

Commentary
Listen up! Listening is a key idea in Torah. After the opening verse that identifies Isaiah and his contemporaries (the kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah), Isaiah declares: "Hear O heavens, and give ear O earth..." This first word, ‘shim'u’ foreshadows the ‘Shema’ that appears in next week's Torah portion, Va'etchanan. Isaiah is deliberately using this language; Moses begins his final discourse, "Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter!" (Deut. 32:1).

But then, Isaiah turns to his listeners, calling them Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah qualifies the comparison: unlike Sodom and Gomorrah that were totally destroyed, YHVH will save a remnant of Zion. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Syrian-African rift, (probably an earthquake accompanied by the release of sulfur and bitumen and volatile gases from the earth's crust ignited by lightning) was a cataclysmic event. Everything was obliterated and in the Torah the memory of this event has come to be a model of YHVH's destruction for wicked behavior.

Even today, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are synonymous with 'iniquity and wickedness,' but what was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? Some believe that the sin of the cities was homosexuality, as the residents wanted to have sex with the [male] angels, and the verb 'sodomize' even became a legal term to refer to homosexual acts.

Other traditional interpretations suggest that the sin of Sodom was their greediness and lack of compassion. The Talmud tells the story of a young girl who gives a poor man some bread. Outraged at this act of kindness, the residents smear her with honey and hang her from the city wall until she is stung to death by bees. Pirkei Avot compares four types of people. One says, "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is mine." This is understandably wicked. The one who says "what is yours is yours and what is mine is yours" is righteous. You might think, "what is mine is mine and what's yours is yours" is the average person; but surprisingly this is called, the 'character of Sodom.' To mind one's own business and not care for others is not the highest ethical behavior.

There is even a story of the guest house in Sodom where guests had to fit the bed. Tall guests would have their feet chopped off; short guests would be put on the 'rack' to be stretched. This story demonstrates that the problem was that while they observed the letter of the law, they did it in a way that violated the very essence of what the laws were trying to instill.
How easy it is to quote out of context. "I take no delight in the blood of bulls ..." or "I hate your new moons, your festival days..." Is YHVH (or at least Isaiah) against ritual? Isaiah's language is pretty strong. "Bring me no more futile offerings; incense is an abomination to Me." An abomination? According to Exodus, incense is holy (Ex. 30: 37). But these examples are how Isaiah is choosing to illustrate the Israelites’ behavior that he has compared to Sodom and Gomorrah.

There are those who are clearly wicked and those who are clearly righteous. But worst of all are those who pretend to be righteous, who observe the ritual minutiae without acting ethically. These are the Sodomites today. Only with justice and repentance will Zion be redeemed.

Shabbat Shalom

Matot Masei - The Haftara

Matot – Masei – the Haftara
Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4
Reading date: 18th July 2009 – 26th Tammuz 5769

Our Highlighted Haftara Text

“Though you wash yourself with lye and use more and more soap, the stain of your guilt remains before Me, says YHVH Adonai.”Jeremiah 2:22

Our covenant with the Fountain of Living waters can be reestablished.

We continue this week with the second installment of the three special Haftarot of Admonition. These correspond to the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha b'Av. We pick up from where we left off last week. The haftara is taken from Jeremiah 2:4-28. Then Ashkenazim conclude with a single verse, 3:4; Sephardim read verses 4:1-2 instead. These additional verses are so the passage ends on a positive optimistic note.

Our final encounter with Jeremiah in this yearly cycle of reading contains much we have seen before: the image of YHVH, the Fount of living waters forsaken, (see Bechukotai), Israel as prostitute (see Shlach), the plaintive cry of 'Eich' (Jer. 2:23) foreshadowing the opening 'Eichah' of Lamentations.

This week we read the combined portions of Matot - Masei, concluding the book of Numbers.

History
Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah (635 BCE) who restored the Temple cult and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deuteronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and en route battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 586 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

Commentary
"Out, damned spot." (Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act I:V). Blood stains certainly have a way of indelibly marking one's guilt. No matter how hard Lady Macbeth scrubs, she can't get her hands clean. Jeremiah uses a similar washing metaphor: "Though you wash yourself with lye, and use more and more soap, the stain of your guilt remains before Me, says Your Lord Adonai" (Jer. 2:22).

The Hebrew ‘neter’ is translated here as lye; the English natron and nitrate are from the same root. Lye or soda is a chemical base that was used as a cleansing agent in biblical times. Lye (like baking soda) mixed with vinegar (mentioned in Proverbs 25:20) would bubble energetically. Today lye refers to sodium or potassium nitrate; in the Bible, it probably referred to sodium carbonate, called in Arabic ‘natrun’, which can be found as a deposit underneath layers of common salt. A number of plants containing soda and potash that grow in Israel were dissolved in oil and used to make a liquid soap.

A second word, ‘borit’, (rendered here as 'soap') refers to possibly one of several plants called ‘soap plants’ such as the soapwort (Saponaria) that have cleansing properties and were used locally in early times. Sabonin is the lather-producing substance found in some plants and is poisonous if taken internally. The biblical terms are used to describe both the physical cleaning of clothes and hands (Job 9:30) as well as metaphorical cleanliness (Job 22:30).
If we've committed an act that pollutes us, we can't feel clean no matter how long we spend in the shower. Jeremiah understands that until we change our behavior, our washing with soap is in vain. At the conclusion of the book of Leviticus, the haftara from Jeremiah also referred to abandoning YHVH, ‘Mikveh Yisrael’, as forsaking the Fountain of Living Waters. But our relationship with YHVH can be restored if we stop chasing after false gods and return to the one true YHVH. First we need repentance, forgiveness and restoration before our covenant with the Fountain of Living waters will be reestablished. And if we return, and remove our abominations from YHVH's presence, Jeremiah promises this blessing that, "Nations shall bless themselves by you and praise themselves by you" (4:2).

Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Pinchas - the Haftara

Pinchas - the Haftara
Jeremiah 1:1 – 2:3
Reading date: 11th July 2009 – 19th Tammuz 5769

Our Highlighted Haftara Text
“The word of Adonai came to me: What do you see, Jeremiah? I replied: I see a branch of an almond tree. Adonai said to me: You have seen right, for I am watchful to bring My word to pass.”Jeremiah 1:11-12

How is our rejection of YHVH with the Golden Calf connected to the loss of the Temple?

Normally, the haftara for parashat Pinchas is taken from the book of Kings and describes Elijah, like the eponymous character of the weekly portion of Pinchas as a 'zealot'. The passage from Kings includes the famous description of furious wind and earthquake and fire, but YHVH was not in these forces. Afterwards, there was a 'still small voice' a phrase that expresses experiencing the Divine Presence.

However, when Parashat Pinchas falls after the 17th of Tammuz, (as it does this year), instead of the regularly assigned haftara, the first of three special haftarot of admonition is read. These haftarot commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples and deal with the punishment that will be meted out to the Jewish people. According to tradition, the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Babylonians (First Temple) and the Romans (Second Temple) on the 17th of Tammuz. The three haftarot are then followed by seven haftarot of consolation.

History
Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah (635 BCE) who restored the Temple order and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deuteronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and en route battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 586 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

Commentary
The prophets often used metaphors and allegories of common objects and the natural world around them that was familiar to their listeners. Thos who do not live in Israel or speak Hebrew miss a lot of the rich meaning in the allusions of biblical language.

In Jeremiah's opening prophecy, God shows him an almond branch, and we are told that this signifies that YHVH is 'watchful' to bring the events to fruition. Of course, reading the English, we miss the pun: the Hebrew word for almond, ‘shaked’ (rhymes with "head") means 'to be watchful ‘shoked’. Later Jeremiah continues to use this verb. YHVH says, "And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over ‘shakadati’ them to uproot and to break down, to demolish and destroy and harm, so now will I watch over ‘eshkod’ them to build and to plant" (Jer. 31:28). The almond becomes a symbol of YHVH's watchfulness. But we still don't get it. Why an almond branch? Why should the almond in fact be a symbol of 'being watchful' or 'being reliable'?

Many of us are familiar with the connection to almonds from the Tu B'Shvat song “Hashkadiyah porachat”, mistranslated as "The almond tree's in blossom..." as ‘shkediyah’ is actually an almond orchard, not an almond tree. But we know from that song and Tu B'shevat, that the almond tree is a symbol of springtime in Israel and associated with Tu B'shevat because it dramatically bursts into pink and white blossoms (as early as February or even January!) before its leaves appear. Both wild (bitter) and domestic varieties of almonds grow in Israel. (The wild variety can be eaten with the rind when young, but in its later stages requires roasting to destroy poisonous alkaloids.)

Because the almond is the first tree to bloom, and passes rapidly through several beautiful and dramatic stages of growth, it becomes a symbol of YHVH's watchfulness. Aaron’s staff was also made of almond wood (Numbers 17). Like the tree, this rod miraculously bloomed overnight and bore almonds to validate Aaron’s claim to the priesthood! The commentators ask why Aaron’s rod was made from almond wood. Rashi answers: ‘Because it is the first tree to blossom.’ This indicates that YHVH would quickly punish those who attempt to challenge the authority of the priests. According to the Mekhilta, this rod was one of the items created the first week of Creation before Shabbat. The kings of Judah continued to use this staff until the destruction of the Temple when it disappeared. It is said that Elijah will give this same almond rod to the Messiah (Numbers Rabbah 18:23). The almond branch is therefore a symbol of royal/priestly authority. Jeremiah's vision of an almond branch connects YHVH's watchfulness with the symbolism of sovereignty.

But why was this passage from Jeremiah chosen for the first of the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and the Ninth of Av (Tisha b'Av). What is the connection between almonds and the 17th of Tammuz? Well, it turns out, that the almond nut in fact ripens in late summer, around the time of Tisha b’Av! The Talmud further connects the almond ripening to the destruction of the Temple: ‘Just as 21 days elapse from the time the almond sends forth its blossom until the fruit ripens, so 21 days passed from the time the city was breached until the Temple was destroyed,’ (Jerusalem Talmud, Ta’anit 4:8). So the 21 days of the almond's ripening correspond to the three week period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av. But that doesn't make sense. We already determined that the almond flowering is the first of the season, in early spring! The late summer fruit and the Talmud’s assertion that the almond produces its fruit [only] 21 days after its flowers appear (Bekhorot 8a) is confusing. This discrepancy can be resolved by examining how the almond grows more closely. It turns out that there are two ripening periods of the almond. The almond can be eaten fresh; the green fruit are eaten whole and are considered a Passover delicacy by many Oriental Jews. It is only the hard 'nut' which we are more familiar with that ripens six months later. The 'fresh' almond in fact appears 21 days after its flowers.

The 17th of Tammuz this week marks the beginning of the period of mourning for the destruction of the Temple(s). But the Rabbis attribute a number of catastrophes to that date. According to tradition, one of the gravest sins of the Israelites in the wilderness--the Golden Calf--occurred on the 17th of Tammuz. How is the ‘Egel HaZahav’ (the Golden Calf) connected to the 17th of Tammuz? The Israelites turned to the Golden Calf because they felt lost and abandoned by YHVH. YHVH was abandoned by the people. Centuries later, these feelings were rekindled with the destruction of the Temple and the loss of Jewish sovereignty.

This Shabbat, ponder the issue of sovereignty today, and the idea of YHVH's watchfulness being restored miraculously 'overnight'-- while munching on some almonds.

Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Balak - the Haftara

Balak - the Haftara
Micah 5:6-6:8
Reading date: 4th July 2009 – 12th Tammuz 5769

This weeks highlighted text
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does Jehovah require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?”Micah 6:8

Love mercy and walk humbly with YHVH

This week’s haftara portion is so similar in content to the Torah portion that will analyze the two together as a whole. It makes mention of the incident of Balak the king of Moab hiring the sorcerer Balaam to curse the Jewish people -- the main topic of this week's Torah reading.
The prophet Micah prophesies about what will occur after the war of Gog and Magog, the war which precedes the coming of the Messiah and the Final Redemption.

"And the remnant of Ya’akov shall be in the midst of many peoples -- like dew sent by YHVH, like torrents of rain upon vegetation that does not hope for any man and does not wait for the sons of men." The prophet describes how YHVH will remove the idols and sorcerers and how He will destroy the Childre of Israel's enemies.

The prophet Micah then goes on to rebuke the people for not observing YHVH's commandments, calling as witness the "mountains and hills" -- a reference to the Patriarchs and Matriarchs -- and reminding them of the great things YHVH had done for them. He took them out of Egypt and replaced the curses that Balaam son of Beor wanted to utter against them with blessings.

The Jewish people respond by saying that they do not know how to serve YHVH and ask for guidance. The prophet reminds them of the Torah, and that all they need to do is contained within it: "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what YHVH demands of you: but to do justice, love kindness, and walk discreetly with YHVH."

Micah's opening prophecy presents an idyllic time when Israel's needs will be met without the need to rely on others. Israel itself will be considered both blessed and feared by those around it because God will be the source of their strength. (5:6-8) That which follows in Micah's message seems strange: "In that day, declares the Lord, I will destroy the horses in your midst and wreck your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and demolish all of your fortresses. I will destroy the sorcery you practice, and you shall have no more soothsayers. I will destroy your idols and the sacred pillars in your midst; and no more shall you bow down to the works of your hands. I will tear down the sacred posts in your midst and destroy your cities." (9-14) These verses appear, at first glance, to be a punishment, but actually their intention is exactly the opposite. The essence of their message is that in idyllic times, there will be no need to depend on anybody or anything other than YHVH. Weapons will be unnecessary, as will fortified cities. Security will be insured and as a consequence, human beings will shed the insecurity which leads them to dependence on false things. This interpretation, which appears to be the correct one, is not without its difficulties. In particular, commentators seem to have had trouble seeing how a number of these promises were really blessing and developed creative interpretations to fit the difficult promises into this particular interpretation. Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (13th century Spain felt compelled to explain how removing the wall from a walled city (10) was a blessing since it endangered the inhabitants of the city. He explained that YHVH would bring peace in order that the city dwellers would be able to enjoy fresh air instead of the stuffiness caused by the city walls. Similarly, other commentators found difficulty in the last promise – that "[YHVH would] destroy your cities" since, in part, this seems redundant and it also seems the most difficult to understand as a blessing. Already, Targum Yonatan, the Aramaic translation of the Prophets (7th century), attempted to rectify these difficulties by translating this phrase: "I will destroy your enemies" after finding a reference where the word "eer" means enemy. Ultimately, YHVH's promises in Micah's prophecy remain a profound reminder that the world should be a better place where insecurity will be replaced by Divine guidance, where human weakness will be replaced by divinely inspired assurance and where belief in YHVH will hopefully lead to building the kind of world that would make Him proud.

One might assume that this haftara was chosen because it recalls Balaam, but it's the last verse of the haftara that provides the more interesting connections between the parasha and the haftara.

Shabbat Shalom